House Ashenhearth
House Ashenhearth is the 13th Great House of Alantys and rules from their seat Ashdown from Flare Island. It was the former royal house of Alantys during the reign of the Fire Kings, until it was deposed of by Clarion the Great during the Scarlet Wars when he killed Avalon the Brave in battle, the 10th Fire King of Alantys. House Ashenhearth then retreated with the Vareons to the Fyre Islands, carving it out as an independent kingdom and ruling as its royal house for 82 years before swearing fealty to the crown in Year 158 ASI. Though sworn to the Crown of Alantys, the Ashenhearths were never conquered by the White Kings and the Fyre Islands are the only one of Thirteen Territories to have joined the kingdom under diplomacy rather than conquest. House Ashenhearth's sigil is a red phoenix emerging from fire beneath it on a white background. History Background Once a noble family of the Vareon Empire, an empire spanning most of the eastern continent of Avanos, the family from which House Ashenhearth originates migrated to different cities of the empire over the course of centuries (they were not a formal House, as this was a Alantysene concept not found in the Vareon Empire). Originating from the Bays of Old Varea, the family had already possessed numerous phoenixes and were renowned windriders. Over the course of the centuries the family had moved to Vhentosia (the capital of New Varea), then eventually moving to the city of Manarvos several years before the Fall. During this time, most of the Ashenhearth ancestors had already migrated to newfound Alantys in the west and ruled as its Fire Kings. After the obliteration of the empire in the Fall, Avalon, the first named Ashenhearth ancestor, flew his family from Manarvos to Alantys, where his grandfather had already ruled as its 9th Fire King. Hailing from Avalon the Brave and the Fire Kings of Alantys, House Ashenhearth is composed of pure-blooded Vareons whose bloodline dates back to the Bays of Old Varea. Avalon the Brave Born in the Avanosi city of Manarvos, Avalon's ancestors were migrants from the Bays of Old Varea to Vhentosia, the capital of New Varea during the height of the Vareon Empire, eventually moving to Manarvos then to Alantys before the Fall. His ancestors who had fled to Alantys ruled as its Fire Kings centuries before his birth. Born 300 years after the Fall, Avalon grew up as mighty warrior and windrider. He is most famous for riding his phoenix Valmerion from Manarvos during the last of the Vareon migrations, flying from Avanos to the west, only resting in the city of Aveera, and flying again before reaching the Free Plains of Alantys. He arrived in Alantys 10 years prior to the Sovantine invasions, and was immediately crowned as the 10th Fire King upon his arrival, shortly after his grandfather’s death. Migration to the Fyre Islands After Clarion triumphed in the Scarlet Wars and Avalon was defeated, the Vareons fled to the uninhabited eastern island group of Alantys now known as the Fyre Islands. With them were several Vareon families of nobility including Avalon's eldest daughter Jaesera, who had managed to escape the Sovantines who had attempted to take hold of Avalon's remaining children. She was wed to Raeven, a Vareon of high birth, and thereafter established their kingdom in Ashdown. Their lineage ruled as the Fire Kings of the east until Year 148 ASI, when King Ravaeron bent the knee to Eon the Conqueror to prevent bloodshed in the islands. He was thereafter known as The Last Fire King. Generations of compound inbreeding have preserved in the Ashenhearth bloodline the classic Vareon features of bright auburn hair, pale grey eyes and fair skin. Allegedly, this also preserved in their bloodline the ability to successfully bond with and ride phoenixes. They also seem to be somewhat more tolerant of extreme heat and high temperatures than other people, though they are by no means invulnerable to fire. Family Tree Ancestry * Avalon the Brave, the 10th Fire King of the Free Plains of Tegerea, killed in combat by Clarion the Great, rider of Valmerion * Unnamed wife ** Princess Isea, youngest daughter of Avalon, taken by Clarion after the Scarlet War and wed to his youngest son Albion to unify the Vareons and Sovantine alike *** Her husband, Prince Albion **** Unnamed children ** Princess Jaesera, eldest daughter of Avalon, rider of Saerexa *** Her husband, King Raeven, the 1st Fire King in the East, the first Wielder of the Midnight Sword. 2nd rider of Valmerion. Succeeded by their second son Elyor I. **** Prince Daevrio the Defiant, rider of Qhamaria **** King Elyor I, successor of King Raeven, rider of 1st rider of Vhordumus ***** His wife Missandria, formerly betrothed to Prince Daevrio ****** Her son Avalon III, bastard son of Prince Daevrio and Missandria. Succeeded Elyor I but later stepped down upon the revelation of his birth, 1st rider of Vhamaria ****** Jaesera II, 1st rider of Regharia, daughter of Elyor I ****** King Ravaeron, replaced his half-brother, the Last Fire King, 3rd rider of Valmerion, son of Elyor I ******* His wife Lady Larra of House Duffray ******** Lord Caspian, 2nd rider of Saerexa, died in in the War of Fire, son of King Ravaeron ********* His wife Lady Mara, 1st rider of Cassadrian, died in the War of Fire ********** Their son Elyor II, 2nd rider of Vhordumus, died in the War of Fire ********** Raeva I, 1st rider to Valerea, succeeded his father after his father's, mother's brother's, and sister's deaths in the War of Fire *********** His wife Lady Aeora Duffray ************ Their son Lord Entarion, succeeded his father ************* His wife Lady Myra Farrenhart ************** His bastard son Errol, the Lost Prince ************** Raega III ************** Allyra I ************** Raeva III ************ Raeva I's son Lord Raeva II, replaced his brother Entarion ************* his wife Lady Leona Hay ************** Lord Raega IV, succeeded his father *************** his wife Lady Zura Belakane **************** Their son Avron the Flaresmith ***************** his wife Lady Lyarra ****************** Raeva III ****************** Lord Leon II, father of Argon, Odessa and Varenna ************** Raeno I ************** Siara **** Princess Naura I, rider of Bavaeleon **** Prince Avalon II, rider of Marvhus Patrons and Vassals * Patron House Duffray of Castleburne Palace, Burneside Island ** Vassal House Liverford of Isea’s Keep'', Isean Isles ** Vassal House Weiss of The Far Watch, Burnt Islands * Patron House Farrenhart of Eastmortel, Burneside Island * Patron House Capendawn of Burnstone, Flare Island * Patron House Hallenbone of Phoenix Fort, Blazen Isle * Patron House Rye of Blazenkrone, Ironfist Isle * Patron House Lendarth of Tornsbury, Siren Isle * Patron House Belakane of Phoenix Fort, Blazen Isle * Patron House Hay of Fyrecliffes, Isean Isles ** Vassal House Krane of Isea’s Keep, Isean Isles Military Strength House Ashenhearth is famous for commanding the largest fleet and the best marine army throughout the realm. As Guardians of the East, the Fyre Islands can raise about 50,000 men, most serving as fighters on sea in the Fireborn Fleet, of which only 10,000 are secondarily trained as foot soldiers. The fireborn have over 800 ships at their disposal, the overwhelming majority of which are galleys, meant pitched sea battles. The flagship of the Fireborn Fleet is ''the Phoenixfire. Lord Leon Ashenhearth II and Lord Argon Ashenhearth have respectively served as Lords Protector of the realm during their lordships. They were successively appointed as Lords Protector for the great military and naval strength that they command. In the Books In The Thirteenth Chronicle, House Ashenhearth ruled the Fyre Islands for 148 years, during which time they ruled as Fire Kings of the East. The House survived a substantial civil war known as the War of Fire, where House Valyreon, established by the descendants of Avalon III (Prince Daevrio and Queen Missandria's bastard), attempted to usurp the ruling of the Fyre Islands and re-establish it once again as an independent kingdom. This rebellion ended with the death of several members of both Houses with the Ashenhearths victorious. This, however, changed the line of succession for House Ashenhearth due to the deaths of Lord Caspian, his wife Lady Mara, their daughter Lady Keara, and their heir Elyor II. The current members of House Ashenhearth are descendants of Lord Caspian's second son, Raeva I. House Ashenhearth also lost a majority of its living phoenixes during the war, never to be reborn again. The Ashenhearths did not adapt to the Vareon religion of Abyssal Worship despite their strict ties with Vareon culture. They clung to the 'religion' of honoring and praying to their ancestors, therefore defying the dominant religion of the Trion Faith. The generations of Vareon inbreeding produced a distinctive set of physical features shared by all of their members of the House. This includes a generally pale appearance with red, or red-brown curly brown hair and pale grey irises. Ashenhearth additionally, is a surname derived from the words "ash and hearth." It is pronounced "a-shen-harth."